Hanging onto Hope
by Leo's gurl
Summary: After Jesse contracts a deadly virus, Jaden must go on a dangerous journey to get the antidote. But there are people who don't want Jaden to get the antidote. Will Jaden get the antidote in time or will it be to late?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful summer day at Duel Academy. The wind was blowing and the sun was actually nice to be today. A bluenett was sitting under a huge oak tree, enjoying the shade it provided. Jesse loved the summer. For some reason it was his favorite season and he enjoyed every moment of it. He closed his eyes and let the wind blow through his hair. Jesse was so into the moment that he didn't hear his best friend Jaden Yuki come up and sit down beside him. Jesse jumped when Jaden spoke.

"Man Jess, it took me forever to find you." Jesse jumped and opened his eyes. He looked over at Jaden and noticed the brunette smiling at him.

"What?" asked Jesse confused. Jaden continued to smile and Jesse grew more and more confused.

"Uh Jay, are you feeling alright?" Jaden nodded.

"I'm fine Jess but I can't believe you forgot." Jesse's heart began to beat faster.

'Did he finally remember it's my birthday?' Jesse thought to himself. Jesse shook his head.

"Forget what?" he asked leaning towards Jaden with pretend curiosity. Jaden slapped his head and he too leaned in.

"Today...is someone's sixteenth birthday." he whispered in Jesse's ear. Jesse gasped in mock surprise.

"Who's?"

"Why Alexis. That's who." Jesse was crestfallen.

'So he did forget.' Jesse thought sadly. Jaden looked at Jesse with curiosity.  
"What's wrong Jess? You don't seem very excited." Jesse forced a smile.

"Course I'm excited...it's just that...I forgot to get Alexis a present." said Jesse rubbing the back of his head in embarresment. Jaden smiled.

"Hey don't worry about it. If it helps any, I forgot to get her a present too." This caused a chuckle out of Jesse and pretty soon, Jaden joined in. After a moment, the two caught their breath and Jaden stood up. Jesse looked up at him and felt a blush creeping up in his face as the wind caught Jaden's hair and began to toss it around. Shaking his head, Jesse took a deep breath and leaned against the big tree's trunk. Jaden stared at him for a moment before offering him a hand up.

"Come on Jesse, we're going to miss the party at this rate." he said smiling. Jesse returned the smile and grabbed Jaden's outstreched hand. As Jaden pulled Jesse up, a wave of pain washed over Jesse's body. Jesse cried out in pain and fell backwards onto the ground. Jaden gasped in shock and knelt down beside Jesse.

"Jesse, what's wrong?" asked Jaden with a look of worry on his face. Winged Kuriboh appeared beside him, also with a look of concern upon its face. Jesse grasped at his chest and forced a smile.  
"I'm fine Jay. I guess I just sat up to fast." Jaden shook his head.

"I don't think so. Most people don't cry out in pain when they sit up." said Jaden placing a hand behind Jesse's back. Jesse shook his head.  
"I said I'm fine Jay. Now let's get a move on before Hassleberry hogs all of the birthday cake." said Jesse slowly standing up. Jaden grabbed Jesse's right arm and helped to pull the Obelisk Blue student to his feet. At first, Jesse was a little bit dizzy and Jaden had to hold onto him but after a minute, Jesse regained his composure and turned to face Jaden.  
"Alright, you ready?" Jaden looked at him curiously.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jesse nodded.  
"Never been better." Shaking his head, Jaden moved in front of Jesse and knelt down in front of him. Jesse looked at him confused.

"Umm Jay...what are you doing?"  
"Waiting for you to get on my back." Jesse blushed at these words but quickly shook his head. Placing his hands on his hips, Jesse frowned.  
"No way partner. I refuse to be carried around like some little child." Jaden turned around and smiled.

"Are you sure you want to refuse? I have ways of making people change their minds." he said mischiviously. Jesse felt a sweat drop fall down his forehead and he started to scratch the back of his head.

"Well...since you put it that way." Jaden smiled at his victory and once again offered his back to Jesse. Making a dramatic sigh, Jesse slowly placed his arms around Jaden's neck and jumped on. Jaden made a little "oomph" sound and Jesse chuckled.  
"What's the matter Jay? Can't you handle a little old Obelisk Blue?" Jaden laughed and slowly stood up.  
"It's not you Jess. It's just that I guess I thought I was stronger than this." Jesse chuckled and laid his chin on the top of Jaden's head. Closing his eyes, Jesse felt at ease and as Jaden took a step forward, Jesse knew that this was going to be a great night after all. Or so he thought.

Jesse didn't remember falling asleep but when Jaden said something, he realized that his eyes were closed. Slowly opening his eyes, Jesse looked around and noticed that they were at the front of the Slifer Red Dorms. Jesse noticed that the lights were off and it didn't appear that there was any partying going on. Jesse thought that this was rather odd and was interupted from his thoughts when Jaden spoke again.

"Hello, earth to Jesse." Jesse shook his head.  
"Hmm. What did you say?" Jaden sighed.

"I said we're here. I think you're safe to walk now." Jesse blusehd.  
"Oh...yeah." he said jumping off of Jaden's back and onto the solid earth. Brushing himself off, Jesse looked up at the dorms.

"So, where is everybody?" Jaden smiled.  
"If you want to know, you'll just have to follow me." Jesse looked at him confused and Jaden slapped his head.  
"You know what, come on." Before Jesse could register what Jaden meant, Jaden grabbed his arm and started to pull him up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Jaden pushed Jesse in front of him and before Jesse had time to react, Jaden threw open the doors and pushed Jesse inside. The moment Jesse entered the room, the lights turned on and Jesse was greeted with a loud...  
"SURPRISE!" Jesse blinked in confusion and realized that all of his friends were standing in front of him wearing party hats and throwing confetti. Jesse looked around in amazement.  
"How...where...when..." Chuckling behind him, Jaden came up beside Jesse and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Come on Jesse. Do you really think that we would forget your birthday?" Jesse stared at him awe-struck. Jaden smiled and slowly led Jesse over to a long table where a birthday cake with his name on it was waiting with sixteen lit candles. Jaden motioned for Jesse to take a seat in front of the cake and Jesse obeyed without question. As he took a seat, Jaden and the others also took a seat. Jaden was on Jesse's right with Syrus on Jesse's left. Alexis, Chazz, Hassleberry, and Jim all sat on one side while Axel, Zane, Aster, and Atticus sat on the other side. Once Jesse was seated, Jaden nudged him in the ribs.

"Come on Jess. It's time to make a wish and blow out the candles." Jesse smiled.

"Alright...here goes nothin'." Closing his eyes, Jesse made a silent wish and took a deep breath. Just as Jesse was about to blow out the candles, another wave of pain went coursing through his body. Crying out in pain, Jesse grabbed at his chest and fell back into the chair. Hearing his friends cries of alarm, Jesse knew that this time, the pain was much more greater. As another wave of pain shot through his body, Jesse tried to stand up but his feet failed him. The last thing that Jesse remembered before falling into the blissful realm of unconsciousness was falling into someone's arms and hearing Jaden telling him to hold on.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Unfortunatly, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or any of its characters. Sniffle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jaden knew something was wrong with Jesse the minute he closed his eyes. His face went deathly pale and he appeared to be shaking. Just as Jesse went to blow out his candles, Jaden could see the pain in his friend's eyes and quickly took action. Just as Jaden stood up, Jesse too stood only he didn't remain standing. Instead, he went falling towards the floor and would have landed hard if Jaden hadn't caught him with lightning fast reflexes. Catching Jesse in his arms, Jaden positioned him so that Jesse's upper body was lying in his arms.  
"Jesse, are you okay?" he asked leaning closer to his friend. Jesse didn't say anything and Jaden panicked. Looking around the room, it was then that Jaden noticed all of their friends were surrounding the two. Taking charge, Jaden began issuing out orders.  
"Syrus, you and Alexis go get Ms. Fontaine. Jim, I need you to help me carry Jesse upstairs into my room." Jim looked at him confused.  
"Why aren't we takin' him to Ms.Fontaine? Wouldn't that be the smart thing to do mate?"

"No way. Jesse is suffering from an unknown sickness. Moving him would be very unwise right now." said Zane coming to Jaden's aid. Jim stared at him for a moment before the words began to sink in.  
"Oh. That makes sense. Well, if you need help then I'm your man." said Jim moving beside Jaden and gently grabbing Jesse's right arm. Jaden copied Jim's actions and placed Jesse's arm over his shoulder. Looking around, Jaden noticed the rest of his friends waiting for their orders. Alexis and Syrus by this time had already left for Ms. Fontaine's office and Zane had apparently disappeared into the kitchen to get Jesse a glass of water.  
"What should we do Jaden?" asked Axel moving beside Jaden. Jaden thought for a moment before shaking his head.  
"I honestly have no idea. I guess you can come upstairs in case we need something." said Jaden moving Jesse towards the stairs with Jim's help. Axel nodded his head and followed right behind them. The rest of the gang watched as Jim and Jaden escorted the Obelisk Blue student upstairs and disappear around the corner. The group was silent a moment before Hassleberry spoke.

"So what do we do know?" he asked looking around the room. Everybody had the same answer.

"I don't know." said Atticus with a look of concern upon his face.  
"You can start praying." said Zane coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water. Everybody turned and looked at him.

"Pray?" said Aster confused. Zane nodded.  
"That's right. From the looks of things, Jesse doesn't seem to be doing so well. The best thing to do right now is to pray that he'll be okay." Chazz sighed.

"The Chazz doesn't believe in praying." he said crossing his arms in front of him and sticking his nose up in the air. Everyone glared at him and Chazz felt the full force of their glares. Letting a bead of sweat fall down his face, Chazz scratched the back of his head.

"Umm...on second thought..." Chazz moved to one of the couches in the living room and sat down.  
"Anyone up for praying?" Zane shook his head and headed upstairs to see if Jaden and Jim needed any more help.

Meanwhile, Jaden and Jim had just gotten Jesse upstairs and had laid him down on Jaden's bed. Covering him up, Jaden sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Jesse's forehead. He gasped in surprise at how hot his face was and quickly pulled his hand back.  
"He's burning up!" he said looking back at Jim and Axel. Jim gasped and he too moved beside Jesse. Placing a hand on Jesse's forehead, Jim shook his head.  
"This isn't looking good mate." Looking back at Axel, Jim had an idea.  
"Axel, we need a bowl of cool water and a washcloth. We gotta try and bring his fever down." Axel nodded and quickly left the room in search of these items. Jim watched Axel leave before turning his attention back to Jesse's sleeping form.

"What do ya think is wrong with him?" Jaden bowed his head in shame.  
"This is all my fault." Jim looked at him confused.

"What do ya mean mate?" Taking a deep breath, Jaden explained to Jim the earlier incident with Jesse under the oak tree. When he finished, Jim was shaking his head.

"I wouldn't say its your fault. I mean, you didn't know how severe Jesse's condition was." Jaden shook his head.  
"No! I should have known something was wrong and taken him to the nurse."

"Jaden..." Jim didn't get to finish his sentence because at that very moment, Axel came back with the requested objects.  
"Here you go Jim." he said handing Jim the bowl and washcloth.  
"Thank you mate." Jim said placing the bowl on the nightstand and dipping the washcloth in the cool water. Jaden watched him for a moment before speaking up.  
"Umm Jim, do you mind if I do that?" Jim looked at him confused.

"Why? Afraid I might hurt him or something?" Jaden blushed and looked away.

"It's not that...it's just that..." Jim seemed to know the real reason Jaden wanted to cool Jesse down and he smiled. Tossing the washcloth at Jaden, he smiled.  
"Alright mate. He's all yours. Me and Axel are gonna go downstairs and fill the gang in on what's goin' on." he said standing up and heading towards the door. Axel followed his lead and pretty soon Jaden and Jesse were finally alone. Once Jaden heard Jim and Axel's footsteps going down the stairs, he placed the cool cloth to Jesse's forehead and used his other hand to start slowly caress Jesse's cheek. Feeling Jesse's soft skin against his fingers made Jaden's blush come back with a vengence and Jaden had to shake his head to try and hide it.

"Oh man, why am I doing this now? Of all times." he said pulling his hand away and taking a seat beside Jesse's side.  
That night, the moon happened to be full and the light filtered in from a window in from in front of Jesse's bed. The light basked Jesse in a white glow and Jaden couldn't help but shudder at how it made Jesse look even more sickly.

'He's deathly pale.' thought Jaden to himself. Leaning in closer to Jesse, Jaden placed his elbows on the edge of the bed and got down on his knees.  
"Jesse...can you hear me?" Jesse murmered something in his sleep but didn't say anything. Clearing his throat, Jaden continued.  
"I don't know if you can hear me or not but...there's something I have to say. Jesse, I..." Before Jaden could say anymore, the door flew open and Ms. Fontaine and Jim came running through the door.  
"He's right in here Ma'am." said Jim motioning for Ms. Fontaine to follow him to Jesse's bedside. Ms.Fontaine quickly moved beside Jaden and through her bag down beside her.  
"How long ago did he fall unconscious?" she asked opening her bag and pulling out her stethoscope.

"About twenty minutes." said Jaden watching her place the stethoscope on Jesse's heart and listening to its beat.  
"Twenty minutes?" Jaden nodded. Taking the stethoscope out of her ears, Ms.Fontaine then pulled out a folder and opened it up.

"What's that?" asked Jaden peeking over her shoulder in curiosity.  
"Jesse's medical history form. All transfer students are required to have one before arriving here at Duel Academy." said Ms. Fontaine skimming over the papers. About halfway through her reading, she gasped.  
"Oh my!"  
"What's wrong Ms. Fontaine?" asked Jaden not liking the look in her eyes. Ms. Fontaine shook her head.  
"I don't believe it. It says here that Jesse has the Shadow Virus."

"Shadow Virus? What does that mean?" asked Jaden becoming more and more concerned. Ms. Fontaine turned and faced him. A look of seriousness and sadness filled her eyes.

"That means that if Jesse doesn't get the antidote within 48 hours...he'll die."

To Be Continued...

A/N: If I seem to be rushing this story, I apologize. It's just that I honestly have no idea what is going to happen so when I write this story up, I write the chapters super quick and I feel like I'm rushing it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed chapter two and keep a look out for chapter three.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Jesse will die?" said Jaden in disbelief. Ms. Fontaine nodded grimly.

"Unfortunately, yes. The fatality rate for this type of disease is quite high." she said gently grabbing Jesse's wrist and checking his pulse. Jaden just stared at her. How could something like this happen to Jesse. Today was his sixteenth birthday for crying out loud. Jaden clenched his fists.  
"Is...there an antidote." he asked quietly. Ms. Fontaine looked up at him confused.  
"What?"  
"I said is there an antidote?" The room was silent for a moment. Ms. Fontaine looked down at Jesse trying to avoid Jaden's stare. Jaden placed a hand on her shoulder and he too looked down at Jesse.  
"Please, I need to know." Ms. Fontaine looked up at him before taking a deep breath.  
"The good news is there is an antidote, the bad news however, is that the antidote is so rare that many people have given up hope."

"Do you know where the antidote is?" Ms. Fontaine nodded.

"It's located on a small island not far from here. Rumor has it that the antidote is a white rose with splashes of pink in its petals." Jaden stared down at Jesse for a moment before turning his attention back to Jim, who had been completely forgotten about.

"Do you think that I can have a moment with Jesse alone please?" Jim seemed to sense the pain in his friend's voice and nodded his head.  
"Sure mate. I'm sure Ms. Fontaine would like a nice warm cup of tea to calm her nerves." said Jim walking over to Ms. Fontaine and gently grabbing her arm.  
"What do ya say? Care to join me?" Nodding her head, Ms. Fontaine allowed Jim to help her stand and the two left the room without another word. As soon as Jaden knew that he wouldn't be interrupted, Jaden knelt down beside Jesse and took his pale hand in his.

"Why...why didn't you tell me Jesse?" Jesse mumbled something in his sleep and turned his head. Jaden smiled as a stray bang fell into Jesse's eye and he brushed the bang back out of Jesse's eye. Jaden looked down at the sleeping figure and felt his heart leap in his throat. Here was his best friend fighting for his life and what was Jaden doing? Sitting there waiting for the hourglass of Jesse's life to run out of sand. Shaking his head, Jaden gently placed a hand on the side of Jesse's face and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, Jaden took a deep breath and let the room fall into complete silence.

After a moment of silence, Jaden smiled as he heard the sound of Jesse's heart beating. Slowly opening his eyes, Jaden looked down at Jesse and smiled. Taking his other hand, Jaden placed it on Jesse's other cheek and placed his forehead to Jesse's. Closing his eyes again, Jaden brought his lips to Jesse's and enjoyed the feel of Jesse's lips on his. Opening his eyes back up, Jaden smiled and sat back up. Noticing that Jesse was shivering, Jaden shrugged off his Slifer red jacket and draped it across his friend's chest. As Jaden placed the jacket on Jesse, Jesse began to groan. Panicking, Jaden looked at his friend with concern and worry.  
"Jesse are you alright?" he asked leaning down to Jesse's level. Jesse shook his head and Jaden noticed a sheen of sweat on his friend's face. Thinking quickly, Jaden grabbed the washcloth from the bowl and began to dab Jesse's face. The cool clothe seemed to soothe Jesse and he soon fell back into a peaceful sleep. As Jaden continued to dab Jesse's face, Jaden couldn't help but think of the antidote that Ms.Fontaine had spoken of.

'Okay, she said its not to far away. Maybe if I take the early boat from Duel Academy tomorrow, then maybe I can get the antidote in time!' A smile spread across Jaden's face as the thought of saving his best friend and possible lover. Lying the clothe on Jesse's forehead, Jaden stood up and made his way to the door. Once he reached the door, Jaden paused and looked back at Jesse.  
"Don't worry Jess. I'll get that antidote and be back before you know it." Jaden then shut the door and made his way downstairs.

As Jaden made his way downstairs, he could hear his friends talking about the events that had taken place.

"So Jesse needs this super rare antidote or he'll die in 48 hours?" Alexis was asking. All of the gang was sitting in the living room of the Slifer Red dorm and all of them had the same look on their face. They all had the look of concern and sadness on their faces. Jaden stopped at the entrance to the room and leaned back. He wanted to hear what the others were saying without him influencing their decision.

"Well, where exactly is the antidote?" asked Hassleberry looking over at Jim, who was sitting on a red chair by the fireplace. He had his elbows on his knees and his hands were covering his face. Slowly looking up, Jim looked around the room and sighed.

"According to Ms. Fontaine, the antidote is on an island not far from here. However, the antidote is so rare that people have often wondered if it even exists." The room fell silent and everyone bowed their heads. From where he was standing, Jaden could tell that the others were skeptical about the antidote and were unsure what to do. Clenching his fists, Jaden felt the anger rising in him.

'How could they give up hope like that? Are they really gonna let Jesse die?' he thought to himself. Shaking his head, Jaden leaned in closer to see what would happen next. After a moment of agonizing silence, Syrus spoke up.

"I say we go for the antidote." Everyone in the room looked at him.

"We should go for it?" asked Hassleberry confused. Syrus nodded his head.

"Come on guys think about it..." he said standing up and turning towards his friends. "If it were one of us up there in that room, Jesse would gladly go and try to get the antidote." A few people nodded their heads and continued.

"Besides, how many times has Jesse been there for us?" Jim nodded.

"That's right mates. Jesse has never let any of us down before and I'm not about to give up on him. I say we go and get that antidote like Syrus said." Shirley growled her approval behind Jim. A mummer of agreements went around the room and Jaden smiled.

'Thank you Syrus.' he thought to himself. Jaden was so lost in the moment that he didn't notice Zane behind him until he placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder. Jumping, Jaden turned around and faced Zane. His look of scared silly quickly turned to relief when he recognized him.

"Oh man Zane, you really know how to scare a guy." he said placing a hand over his heart. Zane stared at him.

"Jaden, I need you to follow me." he said turning around and making his way towards to the door.

"Umm okay." said Jaden following his friend's retreating form. Opening the door, Zane motioned for Jaden to exit first which Jaden did without question. Once they were outside, Jaden watched as Zane took a seat on the top step and he sat down beside him. There was a moment of silence before Zane finally spoke.

"I know your little secret." Jaden looked at him confused.

"Secret?" Zane nodded.

"I know how you really feel about Jesse." Jaden felt his face starting to red and he quickly shook his head.

"What are you talking about? He's my best friend." Zane shook his head.

"That's not what I gathered when I saw you kissing him." Jaden gasped.

"You saw that?" Zane nodded. Feeling his face growing hotter, Jaden bowed his head.

"So what? I bet you told the others." Zane shook his head.

"That is not my decision to make. If you want to tell them then you go right ahead but I'm not saying anything." Jaden stared at him surprised.

"Why not?" Zane leaned back against the step and shrugged.

"Like I said, it's none of my business." Jaden looked at him for a moment before he began to smile. Zane noticed this and arched an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" Jaden looked over at him.  
"I know why. You like Asther." Zane blushed. Shaking his head, Zane frowned.  
"I like Asther as a friend." Jaden shook his head.

"No you don't. You like him more than that." Zane growled but didn't respond. A silence fell between the two and neither spoke for about five minutes. The silence was broken when Zane stood up and faced towards the docks. A refreshing breeze was blowing that darkened night causing both Zane and Jaden's hair to blow around their faces.

"Jaden...you should go." Jaden looked up at him confused.

"What do you mean Zane?" Looking down at Jaden, Zane smiled.

"I mean you should be the one to go and get the antidote for Jesse." Jaden smiled.  
"I'm way ahead of your Zane." Zane shook his head.

"No, I mean you and only you should be the one to get the antidote." Jaden gave Zane a pensive look.

"Why just me?" Zane shrugged.

"I think that since you have a special connection with Jesse, it would make a lot more sense for you to go." Jaden thought this over for a moment before a smile spread across his fine features.

"You know what Zane, I think you're right." said Jaden slowly standing up and facing Zane. Zane nodded.  
"I know I'm right now go before the others realize that you've escaped." Jaden nodded.

"Alright, I'll see you in less than 48 hours." Jaden said giving Zane a thumbs up. Zane smiled and returned the gesture.  
"I'll hold you to that and don't worry about Jesse. I'll keep an eye on him for you." Jaden smiled.

"Thanks Zane. I owe ya one." he said turning away from Zane and starting to run towards the docks. As Zane watched his running form disappear into the darkness, a frown slowly spread across his face.

'I just hope Jesse can last long enough for Jaden to get the antidote.' he thought looking up at the window where the light was on. The room where Jesse is fighting for his life.

'Please Jesse, hang on. You have to hang on.'

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_"You're a failure Jesse." Jesse was running through the darkness with that same menicing voice following behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Jesse cried out in fear when he saw that same dark cloud chasing right behind him. _

_"Leave...leave me alone!" he called to the evil presence. _

_"What's the matter Jesse? Afraid of the dark?" An evil laughter filled the dark and Jesse closed his eyes. However, that was not a good idea considering the fact that he was running. After a few steps, Jesse tripped over his own two feet and did a face plant onto the foggy ground. As he fell, the fog swirled around him and Jesse slowly sat up. Rubbing his head, Jesse sat cross legged and shook his head._

_"Dang... that hurt." Suddenly, a shadow appeared over Jesse and he froze. Slowly looking up, Jesse gasped when he saw a man shrouded in all black withred eyes standing over him._

_"Stay...stay away from me!" said Jesse trying to crawl away. The stranger shook his head and grabbed Jesse by his arm. Pulling him up, the stranger grabbed Jesse by the collar and shoved him into a wall. _

_"Hello there Jesse." he said with an evil smile._

_"Who...who are you?"said Jesse dazed and confused._

_"I am the one who is going to take away your soul." Jesse's eyes widened in shock and tried to fight.  
"No way! I refuse to die. Ya hear me?" he said pushing away from the stranger and trying to escape again. The stranger sighed and began to walk after Jesse.  
"It doesn't matter how far you run Jesse. Once I catch you it is all over." Jesse closed his eyes and called back to the stranger.  
"Leave me alone!"_

End Dream

"Leave me alone!" Zane jumped when he heard Jesse's voice and quickly opened his eyes. Looking down at Jesse's bedside, Zane noticed that his friend's forehead was covered in sweat and his whole body was shaking. Acting quickly, Zane ran over to a bowl full of water and grabbed the washcloth. Ringing out the excess, Zane ran back over to Jesse and began to dab at his face.

"Come on Jesse. You need to relax." he said trying to calm the frightened student. Jesse kept moving his head back and forth and mumbled something in his sleep.

"Stay...stay away from me!" Before Zane knew it, he was thrown backwards and went crashing into the chair that he had been previously sitting in. Slowly sitting up, he rubbed his now red cheek and looked over at Jesse. Jesse was now sitting up in the bed and had his eyes half open. Looking closely, Zane noticed that Jesse's eyes were clouded and unreadable. He watched as Jesse slowly stood up and made his way over to the door. Regaining his senses, Zane quickly stood up and ran over to him.  
"Jesse, you have to get back in bed!" he said wrapping his arms around Jesse's waist and stopping him in mid-stride. Jesse froze and turned to face him.

"Zane?" he said confused. Before Zane could answer, Jesse closed his eyes and his body went limp. Acting instinctivley, Zane caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Jesse!" he cried in alarm. Positioning Jesse so he could see his face, Zane watched as Jesse's head fell limply to the side. Zane's eyes widened in fear and that's

when he heard footsteps come running up the stairs. Looking towards the door, he watched as Asther and Alexis came running in.  
"What's all the noise up here?" asked Alexis looking around the room. Asther was the first one to see Zane with Jesse and his eyes widened in concern.

"Zane, what happened?" he asked running over to the two and kneeling down beside Zane. Alexis was right behind him and stood behind Asther.

"Jesse had some kind of...spell." said Zane gently picking up Jesse bridal style and carrying him over to the bed. Alexis and Asther looked at each other in concern and followed behind him. Setting Jesse back in bed, Zane covered him up and looked back at Alexis and Asther.

"I think we should take this conversation outside." he said motioning to the door. Alexis and Asther nodded their heads and made their way to the door. Zane followed behind them and when he made it to the door, he turned back and looked at where Jesse was lying.

"Please Jesse, you have to hang on. For Jaden." and with those words, Zane quietly shut the door behind him leaving Jesse alone in the darkened bedroom.

As soon as Zane shut the door, Jesse's eyes slowly opened back up. Sitting up, Jesse placed a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes.

"Jaden..."he said sleepily. Slowly placing his feet on the floor, Jesse stood up and walked towards the open window. As he walked, Jesse could feel his body swaying with every step he took. Shaking his head, Jesse made his way over to the window and looked down. There, he saw a vine that connected to the Slifer Red dorms and went the whole way done to the ground. Putting his one leg over the window sill, Jesse took a moment to rest as a dizzy spell washed over him. Once the dizzy spell passed, Jesse put the rest of his body out of the window and climbed down the vine. As he was climbing, Jesse smiled as he remembered that it was Jaden who had shown him this vine. Just the thought of Jaden brought a blush to Jesse's now pale face and Jesse quickly shook his head. Continuing down the vine, Jesse had almost made it home free when all of a sudden, the vine snapped causing Jesse to go falling to the ground below. Jesse didn't even have time to cry out in surprise when his body hit the ground hard and his head slammed into the ground. For a moment, all Jesse saw was darkness before his vision slowly returned to him. Slowly sitting up, Jesse felt something wet rolling down his face and he reached up and stuck his finger in the wet substance. Pulling his hand back, Jesse looked down and was amazed to see blood on his fingers. Jesse stared at the blood as if he was still in a trance then, attempting to stand back up, he looked over at the ocean shining under the moon's pale light.

"Jaden." he said again. Starting to move forward, Jesse felt his body began to sway with each step he took. Shaking his head, Jesse stared at the dock with one thing on his mind: Jaden.

Meanwhile, Zane had just finished explaining to Asther and Alexis about Jesse's little mishap when he got a strange feeling that something wasn't right. Stopping in mid sentence, he turned his attention to the closed door behind him. Asther noticed his friend's strange behavior and gave him a concerned look.

"Are you alright pal?" he asked tilting his head. Zane looked back at Asther and Alexis and frowned.

"I don't know. Something doesn't feel right." he said turning back to the door and placing his hand on the door knob. Just as he was about to open the door, Jim's voice called from downstairs.

"Hey guys, why don't ya come down here and get a bite to eat." A smile appeared on Asther's face and he looked over at Zane.

"Come on Zane we have to get down there before Hassleberry eats all of it." Before Zane could respond, Asther grabbed his arm and began pulling him towards the stairs.

"But Asther, I have to watch over Jesse until Jaden returns." he said trying to remove Asther's grip on his arm. But the grip remained strong and Alexis smiled.

"Don't worry Zane. I'll watch him for a little bit." she said turning around towards the door. Zane was silent for a moment before a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Well...if you insist." he said finally allowing Asther to pull him down the stairs and into the small kitchen. As for Alexis, she watched to two disappeared down the steps before making her way towards Jaden's bedroom. Opening the door, Alexis smiled and turned towards the bed.  
"Hey there Jesse. I just wanted to see how you..." Alexis stopped in mid-sentence and her smile vanished. Instead of finding Jesse sound asleep on the bed, all she found was messed up sheets and a blanket thrown on the floor. Screaming, she ran out of the room and ran down into the kitchen. By this time, Zane was just taking a bite of ramen when Alexis came running in.

"Jesse is gone!" she cried in alarm. Choking on his ramen, Zane felt Asther patting his back and that allowed him to get the ramen down. Regaining his composure, Zane looked up at Alexis.  
"What did you say?"  
"It's Jesse. He just disappeared!" Zane felt a sinking feeling in his stomach and quickly stood up.  
"Are you sure he's not there?" Alexis nodded.

"Uh yeah. I'm not blind you know." Ignoring the sacrasm in her voice, Zane turned towards the others who had gathered to see what all the commotion was about.

"What's going on mate?" asked Jim looking at Zane to Alexis and back to Zane. Zane didn't respond and before anyone could move, Zane pushed past his friends and ran up the stairs. Pushing his way into the bedroom, Zane gave a silent gasp as he realized that Jesse was nowhere to be found.

"Jesse!" he cried running over to the bed and looking around frantically. Suddenly, a cool breeze entered the room and Zane spun around to the window. Realizing what that meant, Zane ran over to the window and looked out at the darkened island.

"JESSE!" he called out to the silent island. The only response he recieved was the sound of his concerned echo.

"JESSE!"

To be continued...


End file.
